---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 825n"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "825n"
heading: "Forfeiture for violations; recovery; applicability"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/825n"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — Federal Regulation and Development of Power"
  - "Subchapter III — Licensees and Public Utilities; Procedural and Administrative Provisions"
---

# §825n. Forfeiture for violations; recovery; applicability

- (a) **Forfeiture—** Any [licensee](/usc/16/796.md?p=5) or public utility which willfully fails, within the time prescribed by the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), to comply with any order of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), to file any report required under this chapter or any rule or regulation of the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) thereunder, to submit any information or document required by the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) in the course of an investigation conducted under this chapter, or to appear by an officer or agent at any hearing or investigation in response to a subpena issued under this chapter, shall forfeit to the United States an amount not exceeding $1,000 to be fixed by the [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) after notice and opportunity for hearing. The imposition or payment of any such forfeiture shall not bar or affect any penalty prescribed in this chapter but such forfeiture shall be in [addition](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-2) to any such penalty.
- (b) **Recovery—** The forfeitures provided for in this chapter shall be payable into the Treasury of the United States and shall be recoverable in a civil suit in the name of the United States, brought in the district where the [person](/usc/16/796.md?p=4) is an inhabitant or has his principal place of business, or if a [licensee](/usc/16/796.md?p=5) or public utility, in any district in which such [licensee](/usc/16/796.md?p=5) or public utility transacts business. It shall be the duty of the various United States attorneys, under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States, to prosecute for the recovery of forfeitures under this chapter. The costs and expenses of such prosecution shall be paid from the appropriations for the expenses of the courts of the United States.
- (c) **Applicability—** This section shall not apply in the case of any provision of section [824j](/usc/16/824j.md), [824k](/usc/16/824k.md), [824l](/usc/16/824l.md), or [824m](/usc/16/824m.md) of this title or any rule or order issued under any such provision.

## Source credit

(June 10, 1920, ch. 285, pt. III, § 315, as added Aug. 26, 1935, ch. 687, title II, § 213, 49 Stat. 861; amended June 25, 1948, ch. 646, § 1, 62 Stat. 909; Pub. L. 102–486, title VII, § 725(a), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2920; Pub. L. 109–58, title XII, § 1295(d), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 985.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2005—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–58 substituted “This section” for “This subsection”.

1992—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–486 added subsec. (c).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Act June 25, 1948, eff. Sept. 1, 1948, substituted “United States attorney” for “district attorney”. See section 541 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

### State Authorities; Construction

Nothing in amendment by Pub. L. 102–486 to be construed as affecting or intending to affect, or in any way to interfere with, authority of any State or local government relating to environmental protection or siting of facilities, see section 731 of Pub. L. 102–486, set out as a note under section 796 of this title.